A Fistful of Dollars (Per un Pugno di Dollari) (1964)
95%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 4 nominations
With Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo as his template, Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars helped define a new era for the Western and usher in its most iconic star, Clint Eastwood.
If you’re looking for a classic western with a punk rock edge, A Fistful of Dollars is the movie for you. With Clint Eastwood’s magnetic presence and Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable soundtrack, this film is a groundbreaking and impeccable addition to the genre. And let’s not forget the climactic bloodbath that will leave you reeling. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Yeehaw!
Production Company(ies)
Jolly Film Constantin Film Ocean Films,
Distributor
Tobis Filmkunst, Unidis, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Ízaro Films S.A., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists.
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Cabo de Gata, Almería, Andalucía, Spain
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence
Year of Release
1967
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 36m
-
Language(s):Italian, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 1964 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2006
Genre(s)
Western
Keyword(s)
starring Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, Joseph Egger, Wolfgang Lukschy, Gian Maria Volonté, Bruno Carotenuto, Antonio Prieto, Benny Reeves, Sieghardt Rupp, directed by Sergio Leone, written by Adriano Bolzoni, produced by Arrigo Colombo, Giorgio Papi, Western, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Simon Abrams, Chuck Bowen, Tara Brady, Peter Bradshaw, TIME Staff, Variety Staff, Peter Canavese, Matt Brunson, Mike Massie, Tom Meek, Nathanael Hood, Clint Eastwood as Joe, Marianne Koch as Marisol, Joseph Egger as Piripero, Wolfgang Lukschy as John Baxter, Gian Maria Volonté as Ramón Rojo, Bruno Carotenuto as Antonio Baxter, R-rated, Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, Ennio Morricone’s score, Tobis Filmkunst, Unidis, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Ízaro Films S.A., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists, Mono sound mix
Worldwide gross: $14,516,248
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $146,058,720
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 845
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 15,927,887
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $200,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $2,012,348
Production budget ranking: 2,028
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,083,649
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $142,962,723
ROI to date (est.): 4,618%
ROI ranking: 22
Marianne Koch – Marisol
Joseph Egger – Piripero
Wolfgang Lukschy – John Baxter
Gian Maria Volonté – Ramón Rojo
Bruno Carotenuto – Antonio Baxter
Director(s)
Sergio Leone
Writer(s)
Adriano Bolzoni
Producer(s)
Arrigo Colombo, Giorgio Papi
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (2)
Every genre-loving moviegoer should see at least once projected on a theater screen.
May 23, 2018
Simon Abrams
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
The climatic bloodbath of A Fistful of Dollars still stings because the film’s swaggering braggadocio deliberately fails to prepare us for it.
May 21, 2018 | Rating: 4/4
Chuck Bowen
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
[Clint] Eastwood may not have been technically gifted, but he had plenty of star quality.
April 13, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
A Fistful of Dollars has a cult, comic-book intensity. It is the punk rock of westerns.
April 13, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Once in a great while a western comes along that breaks new ground and becomes a classic of the genre.
May 23, 2011
TIME Staff
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
This is a hard-hitting item, ably directed, splendidly lensed, neatly acted, which has all the ingredients wanted by action fans and then some.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Iconic Sergio Leone western (with Clint Eastwood really understanding the power of stillness and restraint to convey status) in an amazing Extensive Special Edition 4K upgrade from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
June 27, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Canavese
Celluloid Dreams
A solid effort that establishes some constants.
June 4, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Ennio Morricone’s legendary, highly unique score essentially becomes a character of its own – with some scenes lingering overlong as if to allow the melodies to finish.
August 24, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Groundbreaking and impeccable.
April 6, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
Eastwood’s magnetic presence and Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable soundtrack blending flamenco guitar with haunting whistling elevates the film above its pilfered story.
January 9, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Nathanael Hood
The Retro Set
… this was a new kind of western: cynical, violent, stylish, and austere, playing out in a landscape of endless deserts and clapboard towns infested with gunmen.
May 12, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand…
Plot
Drifter gunman Joe (Clint Eastwood) arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel at the border of the United States of America, and befriends the owner of the local bar, Silvanito. Joe discovers that the town is dominated by two gangster lords: John Baxter (Wolfgang Lukschy) and the cruel Ramón Rojo (Gian Maria Volontè). When Joe kills four men of Baxter’s gang, he is hired by Ramón’s brother Esteban Rojo (Sieghardt Rupp) to join their gang. However, Joe decides to work for both sides, playing one side against the other.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Clint Eastwood’s performance in A Fistful of Dollars helped establish him as an iconic star in the Western genre.
Sergio-Leone.jpg
